PARIS: The 33rd edition of the Summer Olympic Games, hosted by the French capital Paris from 26 July to 11 August, officially opened on Friday on the River Seine. The event featured around 7,000 athletes and took place in rainy conditions that persisted until the end of the 225-minute ceremony showcasing diverse artistic performances.
Omar Al Marzouqi, our national equestrian team’s show jumper, and Safiya Al Sayegh, our national cycling team’s athlete, carried the UAE flag during the Paris Olympics opening ceremony. The UAE’s delegation passed by boat on the River Seine in the flag bearers’ eipsode, which began with the Greek delegation as Greece is the cradle of the Olympic Games.
Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Vice President of the National Olympic Committee and Head of the UAE delegation at the Paris Olympic Games, greeted the UAE delegation at the opening ceremony. He was joined by Dr. Ahmed Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Sports, Faris Mohammed Al Mutawa, Secretary General of the National Olympic
Committee, and Ghanem Mubarak Al Hajri, Director General of the General Sports Authority.
The ceremony, inaugurated by French President Emmanuel Macron from Trocadéro Square in front of the famous Eiffel Tower, was attended by Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee, and several world leaders and governments. It began with a video at Stade de France featuring comedian Jamel Debbouze and former French football player Zinedine Zidane.
The French capital, Paris, transformed into a large performance arena stretching 6 km along the River Seine, passing by famous French historical landmarks, including Notre-Dame Cathedral. The event was followed by 600,000 spectators, according to the organising committee, who watched from stands specially built for the ceremony along the riverbanks, and about 200,000 from nearby balconies.
A large group of champions and international sports figures took turns carrying the torch, starting with French footballer Zinedine Zidane, followed by Spanish tennis pl
ayer Rafael Nadal, who transported the torch on a small boat accompanied by American tennis champion Serena Williams and her compatriots swimmer Michael Phelps and runner Carl Lewis, as well as several French Olympic champions, before lighting the suspended Olympic cauldron.
Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaimi reiterated his confidence in the UAE’s athletes participating in the Paris 2024 Olympics based on their commendable results and records, which reflect their technical level and admirable performance in a long journey of hard work and dedication. This dedication continued over consecutive years, passing through all stages of refinement, preparation, and training under the supervision of their sports federations and according to well-studied plans and methodologies implemented gradually to ensure maximum benefit and reap the fruits of sincere efforts in representing the country and competing under its flag against the best athletes from around the world.
Sheikh Rashid pointed out that through regular fol
low-up and monitoring of the activities and programmes of the federations participating in the Paris 2024 Olympics, we observed determination and resolve from all athletes and their accompanying technical and administrative teams to achieve the required readiness and full focus on the event, increasing the frequency of participation and preparations as the event approached. Additionally, many athletes stayed in external training camps and various sports events for extended periods before the start of the Games, coinciding with numerous family-related occasions, presenting the finest examples of dedication to represent the state in a manner befitting its reputation and standing in major sporting events.
He expressed his happiness with the fruitful cooperation among all members of the sports delegation at the Games, noting the continuous coordination and integrated steps aimed primarily at supporting the participating athletes in their mission. Everyone shares the belief in the significance of the responsibili
ty entrusted to them in representing the country in the best possible way and expressing their pride and belonging through achieving commendable accomplishments and distinguished results in the overall participation.
Source: Emirates News Agency